Sterling Investment Advisors,llc

Form ADV Brochure Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC 2095 S Boston Place Bolivar, Missouri 65613 417-777-7677 investment@sia.us.com March 5, 2026 This brochure provides information about the qualifications and business practices of Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC. If you have any questions about the brochure, please contact us at 417-777-7677 or investment@sia.us.com. The information in this brochure has not been approved or verified by the United States Security and Exchange Commis- sion or by any state securities authority. Additional information about Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC also is available on the SEC’s website at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.  Material changes since the last annual update filed March 2, 2026: Tara Parson, CPA purchased 20% of the firm on January 1, 2026 which raised her ownership stake in the firm to 30%. Tara Parson is now considered a “control person” of the firm. 2  TABLE OF CONTENTS Advisory Business 4 Fees and Compensation 5 Performance-Based Fees and Side-by-Side Management 6 Types of Clients 6 Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies, and Risk of Loss 6 Disciplinary Information 8 Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations 8 Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions, and Personal Trading 9 Brokerage Practices 9 Review of Accounts 9 Client Referrals and Other Compensation 10 Custody 10 Investment Discretion 11 Voting Client Securities 11 Financial Information 12 Requirements for State-Registered Advisers 12 Brochure Supplements James G. Jones, CFA, CKA® 13 John A. Jones 15 Tara E. Parson, CPA 17 Troy Bethards, DBA 19 The CFA® Designation 21 The CKA® Designation 22 The CPA Designation 23 3  Advisory Business Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC (SIA) was established in 1996 by James G. Jones, CFA, CKA® as a registered investment advisor under the Investment Advisor Act of 1940. Jones is the principal owner of the firm. Jones, Tara Parson, CPA, and Troy Bethards, DBA, are Investment Advisor Representa- tives (advisors) of the firm. The firm is located in Bolivar, Missouri and does not have any other loca- tions or affiliated companies. The firm’s primary business is providing investment management advisory services. As a registered investment advisor, SIA is required to act as a fiduciary; putting the client’s interests ahead of its own. The firm is committed to creating individual, well-diversified portfolios with varying levels of expected risk and return depending on the client’s needs. The investment management advisory service begins when an advisor meets with the client to discuss the client’s return objective, risk tolerance (both ability and willingness), liquidity needs, time horizon, legal constraints, taxes and any unique circumstances. Should a client consider transferring funds from a qualified plan to a rollover IRA, a diligent and prudent effort will be made to obtain current plan in- formation and compare the expenses against the offered IRA. The analysis is shared with the client for evaluation in the transfer decision. In most cases, a multi-year cash flow projection is created which reflects the client’s particular circum- stances. In these cases, a Monte Carlo simulation is generated using portfolios with different risk and return characteristics. A Monte Carlo simulation is a process of evaluating how well a portfolio achieves the client’s goals and objectives under many different economic scenarios. By evaluating the relative performance of the different portfolios, the advisor is better able to formulate a recommenda- tion. Once chosen and implemented, the portfolio is reviewed for possible rebalancing every quarter. In ad- dition, it is important to update a client’s investment plans at least annually. The annual review is based upon current account values, updated client goals and objectives, and return and risk expectations that reflect the current economic conditions. It is at this time the advisor determines whether he/she will recommend a portfolio change. On infrequent occasions, the advisor may, for a variety of reasons, recommend a change to the portfolio prior to the annual review. Of course many assumptions are made in the investment management planning process. These include: the timing and size of future cash flows, expected future inflation rates, the expected return and risk of portfolios, and future tax rates, among other things. There is a level of uncertainty regarding each esti- mate. While the advisor takes care to make estimates he/she believes are reasonable and consistent with finance theory, they are estimates. As estimates, they can be wrong. The investment management process, including the annual reviews, cannot guarantee a client’s goals and objectives will be achieved. Clients may request specific individual securities be purchased and integrated into their billable portfo- lios. The advisor will determine if these requests are compatible with SIA’s investment philosophy, and if not, the investment management contracts will be terminated. 4  SIA may establish discretionary separate accounts for clients which are not subject to billing. These accounts facilitate certain client objectives which may include, but are not limited to: money market funds and/or short-term securities held for liquidity purposes, and individual security holdings with trade restrictions which are not integrated into billable portfolios. SIA provides financial planning services and access to estate planning tools to all investment manage- ment clients at no additional cost. These services are included in the investment management fee. From time to time an individual will request advice on financial topics without engaging SIA for in- vestment management services. In these cases the advisor may elect to provide those services on a per-hour fee basis. These consulting services represent less than 1% of the firm’s total revenue. As of December 31, 2025, SIA managed a total of $229,251,944.92. All funds were managed on a dis- cretionary basis. Fees and Compensation SIA is a fee-based advisor. Thus, the only revenue of the firm is from fees charged to clients directly. Investment management services fees are as follows: If client assets are: over but not over of the amount over the ANNUAL fee is: $0 250,000 - - - - - 1.25% $0 250,000 500,000 $3,125 + 1.00% 250,000 500,000 1,000,000 $5,625 + 0.75% 500,000 1,000,000 - - - - - - - $9,375 + 0.65% 1,000,000 If client assets are: over but not over of the amount over the QUARTERLY fee is: $0 250,000 - - - - - - - 0.3125% $0 250,000 500,000 $ 781.25 + 0.2500% 250,000 500,000 1,000,000 $1,406.25 + 0.1875% 500,000 1,000,000 - - - - - - - $2,343.75 + 0.1625% 1,000,000 For accounts valued in excess of $10,000, fees are assessed quarterly based on asset values as of the close of business on the last business day of the quarter. Accounts valued less than $10,000 are as- sessed an annual fee based on the asset values as of the close of business on the last business day of the year. Fees are non-negotiable. However, the first two clients of the firm and a large endowment have 5  contracted for lesser amounts. Fees are waived for pro-bono clients deemed as “in need of assistance” and certain family members. A new deposit will have a pro-rated management fee if it is received in the last 45 days of the quarter and exceeds $25,000 or 10% of the client’s overall portfolio value, whichever is greater. An account is eligible for family group billing if the account owner is a family member living in the same household and is under the age of 18. For custodial accounts and trusts, the current beneficiary, rather than the custodian or trustee, determines whether family group billing is applied. No fees are payable in advance as all fees are billed in arrears, so there is no refund provision. Clients may pay their fees directly to SIA or, if available, may request we deduct our fees directly from the in- vestment account. Clients, in addition to the fees charged by SIA, may be subject to custodial fees, mutual fund and/or exchange-traded fund operating expenses, and brokerage commissions or other transaction costs. As these fees vary depending on the custodian and the investments selected for the portfolio, it is suggest- ed the client, if they so desire, ask the firm for fee information relevant to their specific investments. Information regarding the selection of a custodian and brokerage is found on page 9 of this document. Per-hour financial planning service fees are assessed at a rate of $200 per hour. Performance-Based Fees and Side-By-Side Management SIA does not charge performance-based fees or engage in side-by-side management. Types of Clients SIA serves a variety of clients including: individuals, estates, trusts, charitable organizations, corpora- tions, pension/profit sharing plans, and an endowment. The guideline minimum asset size to begin an advisory relationship is $250,000. This minimum is a guideline and may be modified on a case by case basis. Methods of Analysis, Investment Strategies, and Risk of Loss SIA bases its investment management strategies on certain foundational principles. First, asset alloca- tion is more important to the long term success of clients than market timing and individual security selection. Asset allocation is defined as creating a well diversified portfolio with an expected level of return and risk consistent with the client’s long-term objectives and constraints. Market timing is de- fined as changing the asset allocation based on one’s expectation of future market movements. Indi- vidual security selection is defined as not investing in all companies in the asset class, but only those the investor believes will do the best. It is our firm’s belief that it is very difficult to consistently add value over the long term by relying on market timing and individual security selection strategies. Giv- en this, we use lower cost index mutual funds or exchange-traded funds, where available, to implement the investment allocation. For clients who meet the definition of an “accredited investor” both private equity and private debt are additional asset classes considered for inclusion in the portfolio. 6  The second principle is that risk and return estimates should be forward-looking, rather than simply using historical average rates of return. Bonds Forward-looking bond return estimates are best forecasted by the current yield-to-maturity of each bond asset class. Stocks/Equities Forward-looking equity return estimates are created by blending two different re- turn estimates. The first equity return estimate is based on the assumption that current market prices are effectively reflecting all available information. Using this “efficient market” assumption and current market prices, global market weightings, and historical risk-return relationships, estimated “equilibrium” returns can be created for each asset class. This “efficient market” equity return estimate forms the base of our forward-looking return estimates. However, many investors question the validity that current market prices are always rational and based on estimated future cash flows of the asset. Those who hold this view point to periods when prices of stocks were overpriced (i.e. the late 1990s internet bubble) or underpriced (the depths of the 2020 pandemic) and suggest that forward-looking equity returns should be based on the consen- sus estimate of the expected future cash flows to be received and the current price of the stock. Us- ing this “cash flow valuation” methodology a second equity return estimate can by created in which expected returns fall as stock prices rise relative to expected future cash flows, and expected returns rise when stock prices fall relative to expected future cash flows. The blending of the “efficient market” and “cash flow valuation” future equity return estimates cre- ate forward-looking equity asset class return estimates that are grounded in current capitalization weightings, but tilted toward those asset classes with more attractive valuations. Risk and Correlation It is assumed that historical experience is the best way to estimate future risk and correlation estimates of asset classes. A dataset of the most recent fifteen years of risk and cor- relation data is used to estimate the risk and correlation statistics. The third principle concerns stress testing. An investment plan needs to be analyzed under many dif- ferent economic scenarios; some of which generate above-average returns, while others experience be- low-average returns. Therefore, Monte Carlo simulation is used to produce thousands of possible re- turn “paths.” The purpose of this analysis is not to find a specific expected outcome, but to understand the range of possible outcomes and the relative risk of the potential investment plan under considera- tion. Rebalancing is another important principle. Once a portfolio allocation is chosen and implemented, the subsequent divergence in market returns in the various investments will cause portfolio weights to vary from the target allocation. Reallocating investments on a regular basis back to the target allocation is beneficial as it retains the desired risk/return profile of the overall portfolio. In addition, rebalancing can enhance returns if the various securities go through periods of both out-performance and under- performance. Rebalancing requires the selling of securities that have out-performed in the most recent period and the reinvestment of those funds in securities that have under-performed in the most recent period. Should out-performing securities subsequently under-perform, rebalancing will have reduced 7  the funds subject to the under-performance and increased the funds which subsequently out-performed. We conduct rebalancing quarterly or as funds are deposited/withdrawn. And finally, a client’s investment plan should be updated at least annually. Each client is contacted annually and encouraged to schedule a meeting to review the plan and consider possible changes or updates. If a meeting is not possible, then an “internal” annual review is completed and the client is sent a report when relevant. This process ensures the planning assumptions are current and the result- ing portfolio is appropriate. As with any investment strategy there are risks. These include: • Investing in securities involves risk of loss. While all securities have a risk of loss, the depth of the potential loss varies by security. Clients must be prepared to bear the potential risk of loss. • Private equity and private debt securities have unique risks. They are unregistered securities and undiversified investments with significant liquidity restrictions. There is significant risk of loss of principal. There are additional custody expenses which must be incurred if IRA funds are used. • A significant part of SIA’s strategy relies on return and risk estimates. While care is taken to gen- erate reasonable and thoughtful estimates, it is possible the estimated return and risk statistics are not representative of actual future results. • Because conservative return and risk estimates are used, it is possible the analysis will result in the recommendation of higher savings rates or lower withdrawal rates than would be necessary under normal market conditions. • Rebalancing requires the selling of securities which have out-performed in the most recent period and the reinvestment of those funds in securities which have under-performed in the most recent period. As noted above, this process maintains a consistent risk profile for the portfolio and en- hanced returns if securities go through periods of both out-performance and under-performance. However, should the out-performing securities continue to out-perform for an extended period of time, then rebalancing will result in the selling of those securities along the way resulting in a lower rate of return. Disciplinary Information Neither the firm nor any employees have been the subject of disciplinary actions. Other Financial Industry Activities and Affiliations SIA is an independent investment adviser. Neither the firm, the principal nor any employee is affiliated with any firm or person which would create a conflict of interest. The firm does not have any active solicitor’s contracts. 8  Code of Ethics, Participation or Interest in Client Transactions and Personal Trading SIA’s Code of Ethics is incorporated into its compliance manual and describes the standards of conduct to which employees must adhere. To ensure consistency with fiduciary standards and industry best practices, SIA’s Code of Ethics incorporates the most recent CFA Institute Asset Manager Code of Professional Conduct (governing the actions of the firm) and the most recent CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct (governing individual employee conduct). A copy of SIA’s Code of Ethics is available to current and prospective clients upon request. The principal partner and employees of SIA utilize the same investment principles used in managing client accounts. Therefore, the transactions of the principal and employees may be similar or identical to clients of similar risk tolerance. All transactions involving the principal or employees are executed in the same manner as clients. Clients, not the principal or employees, will have their transactions completed first if both parties need to trade securities. Because SIA primarily uses mutual funds and highly liquid exchange-traded funds, it is very unlikely trading activities would have any material effect on security prices. Brokerage Practices SIA utilizes two types of accounts. Some accounts are easily transferrable to any custodian, while oth- ers are restricted in their movement, such as 401(k) accounts. For those accounts which can be trans- ferred, Fidelity Investments is recommended as the custodian. SIA does not receive monetary compen- sation for recommending Fidelity. Rather, SIA bears the cost of using Fidelity’s software to manage assets, execute trades, and access investment research. This cost is not passed on to clients. Fidelity’s commission and custodian fees paid by clients are very competitive and client service (including tech- nology available to the client) is excellent. Fidelity has significant restrictions in place regarding the custody of private equity and private debt se- curities. Typically, when a client is using IRA funds to invest in non-registered private debt and pri- vate equity an IRA account with Inspira Financial Trust, LLC is recommended. SIA does not receive compensation from Inspira Financial Trust, LLC. SIA does not aggregate orders and execute trades in single blocks. Trades occur on a sporadic basis based on a client’s portfolio needs and therefore are not well suited for block trading. In addition, the vast majority of trades are in no-transaction-fee mutual funds or commission-free exchange traded funds, so no cost advantage of block trading exists when executing these trades. Review of Accounts Client accounts are subject to two types of reviews. In addition, reports are regularly sent to the client. Target Asset Allocation The first review determines if the current target asset allocation (investment mix) is appropriate given the client’s goals and objectives. The initial target asset allocation is created when clients first engage SIA to manage their investments. However, over time, circumstances may 9  call for an adjustment to the target asset allocation. Those circumstances may include changes in the client’s goals and objectives, time horizon, or risk tolerance. In addition, new financial instruments or changing economic conditions may also alter the target asset allocation. On an annual basis, a client is contacted for the purpose of setting a meeting to review the target asset allocation and to determine whether a change is warranted. Should a meeting not take place, an inter- nal review is completed and, when relevant, a written report detailing the planning assumptions, risk tolerance, and the target asset allocation which will be used going forward is sent to the client. Of course, clients are encouraged to request a meeting any time their goals or objectives change. All reviews of the target asset allocation are conducted by James G. Jones, CFA, CKA®, Tara Parson, CPA, or Troy Bethards, D.B.A. Rebalancing The second review of client accounts concerns the maintenance of the target asset alloca- tion. Every thirteen weeks, a client’s account is reviewed for possible rebalancing. Over time the re- turns on the securities in the portfolio can vary causing the relative weights to vary from the target asset allocation. If a divergence is determined to be large enough, trades will be executed to re-align the portfolio to its target asset allocation. Factors which determine whether rebalancing trades are execut- ed include the percentage variance, the dollar variance, trading costs, and whether the trades would re- sult in a taxable event. In addition to the scheduled rebalancing review, a review is also conducted when funds are deposited into an account and action is required to invest the funds. A determination is made as to which securi- ties in the target asset allocation are deficient. The funds are allocated accordingly. A similar review is completed when securities need to be sold to disburse client funds. John A. Jones, the Chief Compliance Officer, is primarily responsible for rebalancing reviews. James G. Jones or Tara Parson will complete these reviews when John A. Jones is unavailable. Reports The client receives a number of regular reports. First, the custodian of the account will send monthly or quarterly statements displaying beginning values, transactions, and ending values. SIA also provides quarterly reports which include beginning and ending period values, dollar gains/loss calcula- tions, and percentage gain/loss calculations for the quarter, year to date, and since inception. Client Referrals and Other Compensation Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC does not have any active solicitor agreements. In addition, our firm does not receive any compensation other than the fees we charge our clients directly. Custody SIA is a fee-based Registered Investment Advisor and does not accept funds from clients intended for investment and likewise funds from the custodian for distribution to clients. All funds are directly transferred between the client and custodian, either by check or electronically. SIA does facilitate monetary exchanges by forwarding checks to/from the client and custodian. This service does not con- stitute custody. 10  Clients with accounts established with Fidelity Investments may grant SIA the power to disburse client funds to a third party under a standing letter of instruction (“SLOA”). Should this power be granted, SIA will be deemed as having custody with respect to Rule 206(4)-2 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. We are committed to act in accordance to the seven conditions outlined in the No Action Letter issued by the SEC in February 2017 which relieves the investment advisor of the need to engage an auditor to conduct the surprise examination requirement mandated by the Custody Rule. Fidelity certifies quarterly that they comply with the No Action Letter conditions required of the qualified cus- todian. Clients with accounts at two qualified custodians, Fidelity and Principal Financial Group, may grant SIA the power to deduct management fees directly from their accounts. This is also deemed as “custody” under the Custody Rule. However, procedures are in place which relieves SIA of the sur- prise examination requirement mandated by the Custody Rule. In all cases when SIA may be deemed to have custody, all securities and funds are held with qualified custodians. The qualified custodian will send quarterly, or more frequently, account statements direct- ly to clients. Clients are urged to review the statement carefully and compare the values to any reports produced by SIA. Investment Discretion All accounts managed by SIA are managed on a discretionary basis. There are two types of discretion. First, SIA has the authority to execute trades without specific client approval. The trades executed are consistent with the target asset allocation of the client. Secondly, SIA may, from time to time, change the client’s target asset allocation without specific client approval. However, changes to the target as- set allocation made without client approval must have a similar risk/return profile as the previous client -approved target asset allocation. SIA may establish separate discretionary accounts for clients which are not subject to billing. These accounts facilitate certain client objectives which may include, but are not limited to: money market funds and/or short-term securities held for liquidity purposes, and individual security holdings with trade restrictions which are not integrated into billable portfolios. SIA retains discretionary trading au- thority on these accounts in order to provide the highest level of service to the client. Clients may request specific individual securities be purchased and integrated into their billable portfo- lios. SIA will determine if these requests are compatible with SIA’s investment philosophy, and if not, the investment management contracts will be terminated. The discretionary authority is granted in the investment management contract which is signed prior to the providing of any investment management services. Voting Client Securities SIA does not have voting authority over client proxies. Therefore, SIA does not have a proxy voting policy. Clients receive proxies directly from the custodian electronically or by regular mail. Clients may contact SIA via phone, email, or request a meeting for clarification regarding any proxy vote. 11  Financial Information SIA does not require the pre-payment of fees. All fees are calculated and assessed after the conclusion of the billing period. Therefore, SIA is not required to provide a balance sheet for the most recent year. Additionally, there is no financial condition which is reasonably likely to impair SIA’s ability to meet the contractual commitments to clients. Requirements for State-Registered Advisors SIA is currently registered with the SEC. Therefore, there are no reporting requirements under this heading. 12  Brochure Supplement James G. Jones, CFA, CKA® Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC 2095 S Boston Place Bolivar, Missouri 65613 417-777-7677 investment@sia.us.com March 5, 2026 This brochure supplement provides information about James G. Jones that supplements the Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC brochure. You should have received a copy of that brochure. Please contact Debra Jones if you did not receive Sterling Investment Advi- sors, LLC’s brochure or if you have questions about the contents of this supplement. Additional information about James G. Jones is available on the SEC’s website at www.advisorinfo.sec.gov 13  Educational Background and Business Experience James G. Jones, CFA, CKA® Date of Birth: September 14, 1964 Education after High School 1987 - Masters in Business Administration (MBA) - University of Arkansas 1986 - B.S. Business Administration / Economics - Southwest Baptist University Professional Designations CFA® - Chartered Financial Analyst® - 1994 - CFA Institute - see page 21 for complete description of the CFA designation CKA® - Certified Kingdom Advisor® - 2017 - Kingdom Advisors - see page 22 complete description of the CKA designation Business Background 1995 to Present - Managing Member and Founder of Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC Disciplinary Information James G. Jones, CFA has not been subject of disciplinary actions. Other Business Activities James G. Jones, CFA,CKA® is a partner in LUMIQ; a start-up company developing investment man- agement software and the managing member of LUMIQ USA, the domestic marketing company for LUMIQ. His primary occupation is the Managing Member of Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC Other Compensation James G. Jones, CFA, CKA® does not receive compensation for investment advisory services outside of his income from Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC. Supervision James G. Jones, CFA, CKA® is the principal of the firm and therefore his actions regarding the giving of investment advice are not supervised. John A. Jones is the Chief Compliance Officer and does mon- itor activities to ensure James G. Jones’ actions are consistent with the firm’s Compliance Manual. 14  Brochure Supplement John A. Jones Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC 2095 S Boston Place Bolivar, Missouri 65613 417-777-7677 investment@sia.us.com March 5, 2026 This brochure supplement provides information about John A. Jones that supplements the Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC brochure. You should have received a copy of that brochure. Please contact Debra Jones if you did not receive Sterling Investment Advi- sors, LLC’s brochure or if you have questions about the contents of this supplement. 15  Educational Background and Business Experience John A. Jones Date of Birth: December 27, 1967 Education after High School 1991 - B.S. Psychology - Southwest Baptist University Business Background 2004 to Present - Chief Compliance Officer of Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC Disciplinary Information John A. Jones has not been the subject of disciplinary action. Other Business Activities John A. Jones does not engage in other investment-related business or occupation. Other Compensation John A. Jones does not receive compensation for investment advisory services outside of his income from Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC. Supervision John A. Jones is the Chief Compliance Officer of the firm. He is also the individual primarily responsi- ble for executing trades for the firm. James G. Jones, CFA, CKA®, as the principal of the firm is re- sponsible for monitoring John A. Jones to ensure his actions are consistent with the firm’s Compliance Manual. 16  Brochure Supplement Tara E. Parson, CPA Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC 2095 S Boston Place Bolivar, Missouri 65613 417-777-7677 investment@sia.us.com March 5, 2026 This brochure supplement provides information about Tara E. Parson that supplements the Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC brochure. You should have received a copy of that brochure. Please contact Debra Jones if you did not receive Sterling Investment Advi- sors, LLC’s brochure or if you have questions about the contents of this supplement. Additional information about Tara E. Parson is available on the SEC’s website at www.advisorinfo.sec.gov 17  Educational Background and Business Experience Tara E. Parson, CPA Date of Birth: May 23,1981 Education after High School 2003 - BS Accounting - Southwest Baptist University, Bolivar, Missouri Professional Designations CPA - Certified Professional Accountant - 2004 - Missouri State Board of Accountancy - see page 23 for a complete description of the CPA designation Business Background Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC 2023 to Present - Registered Investment Advisor Representative 2022 to 2023 - Advisor in Training Southwest Baptist University 2015 to 2022 - Chief Financial Officer and Vice President for Administration Disciplinary Information Tara E. Parson, CPA has not been the subject of disciplinary actions. Other Business Activities Tara E. Parson, CPA does not engage in other investment-related business or occupation. Other Compensation Tara E. Parson, CPA does not receive compensation for investment advisory services outside of her income from Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC. Supervision James G. Jones, CFA, CKA® as the principal of the firm is responsible for supervision of the invest- ment advice given by Tara E. Parson, CPA. If, however, James G. Jones, CFA, CKA® were incapaci- tated, Parson would be supervised by John A. Jones, the Chief Compliance Officer. John A. Jones monitors Parson’s activities to ensure her actions are consistent with the firm’s Compliance Manual. 18  Brochure Supplement Troy Bethards, DBA Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC 2095 S Boston Place Bolivar, Missouri 65613 417-777-7677 investment@sia.us.com March 5, 2026 This brochure supplement provides information about Troy Bethards that supplements the Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC brochure. You should have received a copy of that brochure. Please contact Debra Jones if you did not receive Sterling Investment Advi- sors, LLC’s brochure or if you have questions about the contents of this supplement. Additional information about Troy Bethards is available on the SEC’s website at www.advisorinfo.sec.gov 19  Educational Background and Business Experience Troy Bethards, DBA Date of Birth: June 24, 1969 Education after High School 2010 - Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) - Anderson University, Anderson, Indiana 1996 - Masters of Business Administration (MBA) Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri 1993 - BS Economics/Business Administration - Southwest Baptist University, Bolivar, Missouri Business Background Southwest Baptist University 2013 to Present - Dean, Robert Plaster College of Business and Computer Science 2011 to Present - Ruby Letsch-Roderique Chair of Finance/Economics 2016 to Present - Professor of Business Adminstration Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC 2019 to Present - Registered Investment Advisor Representative Disciplinary Information Troy Bethards, DBA has not been the subject of disciplinary actions. Other Business Activities Troy Bethards, DBA is a full-time employee of Southwest Baptist University. He has limited day-to- day responsibilities with Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC. Other Compensation Troy Bethards, DBA does not receive compensation for investment advisory services outside of his in- come from Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC. Supervision James G. Jones, CFA, CKA® as the principal of the firm is responsible for supervision of the invest- ment advice given by Troy Bethards, DBA. If, however, James G. Jones, CFA, CKA® were incapaci- tated, Bethards would be supervised by John A. Jones, the Chief Compliance Officer. John A. Jones monitors Bethards’s activities to ensure his actions are consistent with the firm’s Compliance Manual. 20  The CFA® Designation The Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation is a globally respected, graduate-level investment credential established in 1962 and awarded by CFA Institute — the largest global association of investment professionals. There are currently more than 200,000 CFA charterholders working in 160 markets. To earn the CFA charter, candidates must: 1) pass three sequential, four-and-a-half-hour examinations; 2) have at least four thousand hours of qualified professional investment experience; 3) join CFA Institute as members; and 4) commit to abide by, and annually reaffirm, their adherence to the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct. High Ethical Standards The CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct, enforced through an active professional conduct program, require CFA charterholders to: • Place their clients’ interests ahead of their own • Maintain independence and objectivity • Act with integrity • Maintain and improve their professional competence • Disclose conflicts of interest and legal matters Global Recognition Passing the three CFA exams is a difficult feat that requires extensive study (successful candidates re- port spending an average of 300 hours of study per level). Earning the CFA charter demonstrates mas- tery of many of the advanced skills needed for investment analysis and decision making in today’s quickly evolving global financial industry. As a result, employers and clients are increasingly seeking CFA charterholders—often making the charter a prerequisite for employment. Additionally, regulatory bodies in 19 countries recognize the CFA charter as a proxy for meeting cer- tain licensing requirements, and more than 300 colleges and universities around the world have in- corporated a majority of the CFA Program curriculum into their own finance courses. Comprehensive and Current Knowledge The CFA Program curriculum provides a comprehensive framework of knowledge for investment de- cision making and is firmly grounded in the knowledge and skills used every day in the investment profession. The three levels of the CFA Program test a proficiency with a wide range of fundamental and advanced investment topics, including ethical and professional standards, fixed-income and equity analysis, alternative and derivative investments, economics, financial statement analysis, portfolio management, and wealth planning. The CFA Program curriculum is updated every year by experts from around the world to ensure that candidates learn the most relevant and practical new tools, ideas, and investment and wealth management skills to reflect the dynamic and complex nature of the profession. To learn more about the CFA charter, visit www.cfainstitute.org. 21  The CKA® Designation The Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA) designation is awarded by Kingdom Advisors, a North American association of Christian investment professionals. Certification Requirements to Earn and Maintain the CKA Designation To earn the CKA designation candidates must: 1) complete CKA Educational Program; 2) pass the CKA Proctored Exam; 3) meet the professional requirements of 10 years of experience or hold any one of the following designations: CFP, ChFC, CPA, CPA/PFS, EA, CFA, CIMA, AAMS, CLU, or JD; 4) submit three required references, and 4) maintain an active status as a CKA which includes an annual attestation of good standing with all industry designations and regulatory bodies, 10 hours of qualified continuing education each year, affirmation of ethical standards and spiritual beliefs, along with the payment of the annual dues. The Kingdom Advisor mission in awarding the CKA designation: To benefit the public by granting the CKA designation and upholding it as the standard of excellence for biblically wise financial advice. To learn more about the CKA designation, visit www.kingdomadvisors.com. 22  The CPA Designation A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license is the accounting profession’s highest standard of compe- tence, a symbol of achievement and assurance of quality. CPAs are licensed and regulated by their state boards of accountancy. Licensing Requirements While state laws and regulations vary, the education, examination and experience requirements for li- censure as a CPA are generally the same. All CPA candidates must have a minimum of 120 college credit hours with emphases in accounting and business course work to sit for the Uniform CPA Exami- nation (CPA Exam). The CPA Exam is owned by the American Institute of Certified Public Account- ants (AICPA) and is administered by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) and AIPCA on behalf of the state boards of accountancy. To become licensed as a CPA, you must pass the exam, have 150 completed college credit hours with further course work in account- ing and business and have one to two years of accounting-specific work experience under the supervi- sion of or verified by a licensed CPA. Continuing Education Requirements and High Ethical Standards To maintain a CPA license, states generally require the completion of an average of 40 hours of contin- uing professional education (CPE) each year. Typically two hours per year must focus on professional ethics. Additionally, all AICPA members are required to follow a rigorous Code of Professional Con- duct which requires that they act with integrity, objectivity, due care, competence, fully disclose any conflicts of interest (and obtain client consent if a conflict exists), maintain client confidentiality, dis- close to the client any commission or referral fees, and serve the public interest when providing finan- cial services. The vast majority of state boards of accountancy have adopted the AICPA Code of Pro- fessional Conduct within their state accountancy laws or have created their own. To learn more about the CPA designation, visit www.aicpa.org or www.nasba.org. 23